Saperstein departs Dimension

President leaves after months of speculation

Ending a drama that took most of the summer to unfold, Richard Saperstein has officially left his post as president of Dimension Films.

After two months of emphatic denials that Saperstein had been relieved of his duties by co-chairman Bob Weinstein, Dimension has acknowledged that it has reached the end of the road with the exec.

The parties “have decided to sever their relationship,” Dimension said in a statement. “Mr. Saperstein wishes to pursue other opportunities in the entertainment industry, and the Weinstein Co. wishes him well in that endeavor.”

Rumors of a rift between Weinstein and Saperstein began more than two months ago, at which time the studio denied that Saperstein had been dismissed (Daily Variety, July 16). The denial seemed plausible since the studio had just scored a solid hit with the ghost story “1408” and had two more strong films following in Rob Zombie’s “Halloween” and the Frank Darabont-directed adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Mist.”